What a romance my life has been! -- Napoleon Bonaparte

October 17, 2003 8:53 AM

On October 17, 1815, following The 100 Days and Waterloo, Napoleon Bonaparte arrived on the Island of St Helena, where he would remain until his death (mysterious or otherwise) in 1821. Discovered by the Portuguese in 1502, St Helena had a long and interesting history before Napoleon arrived, but that history was overshadowed by the story of the Emperor's last years, living in captive exile at the simple yet beautiful Longwood House. Victorians had an insatiable interest for information about the remote island. Today, the picturesque Island is a a tiny bit of England in the South Atlantic, where coffee and tourism (indeed, what some might call pilgrimages) are the main sources of income.
posted by anastasiav (3 comments total)

Great post, good links. Keep up the good work.
posted by psychotic_venom at 9:01 AM on October 17, 2003

It sure beats Elba.
posted by mikeh at 9:06 AM on October 17, 2003

And of course, you'll want to pick up a copy of the local newspaper to know what's going on. Utterly charming. Great links, anastasiav.
posted by pyramid termite at 3:49 PM on October 17, 2003